The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors : Archaeology of Mesoamerica, Third Edition

The Third Edition of this highly successful introduction to the archaeology of Mesoamerica includes full coverage of the Aztec and Maya areas in one volume. Beginning with the settling of the New World and continuing through the Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica in 1521, this completely updated textbook includes the deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs, the dynamic history of the Maya, the new royal tomb excavated at Copan, Honduras, important new discoveries at Rio Azul and Naj Tunich in Guatemala, and Caracol in Belize, ritual sacrifices on a massive scale revealed at Teotihuacan in central Mexico, and new material from Tula (Toltec capitol) and from the heart of Mexico City. The Third Edition ol this highly successful introduction to the archaeology of Mesoamerica includes lull coverage of the Aztec and Maya areas in one volume. Beginning with the settling of the New World and continuing through the Spanish conquest of Mesoamerica in 1521, this completely updated textbook includes the deciphering of Maya hieroglyphs, the dynamic history of the Maya, the new royal tomb excavated at Copan, Honduras, important new discoveries at Rio Azul and Naj Tunich in Guatemala, and Caracol in Belize, ritual sacrifices on a massive scale revealed at Teotihuacan in central Mexico, and new material Irom Tula (Toltec capitol) and Irom the heart of Mexico City. "What Weaver strives to accomplish is to integrate as much information as practical from reports of excavation and survey throughout Mesoamerica... The breadth of cultural historical coverage in the third edition of Weaver's book is impressive." — Richard Zeitlin, American Antiquity "This title is the standard comprehensive single-volume introduction to archaeological sites and finds in middle and eastern Mexico, and upper Central America... ably summarized current knowledge of Mesoamerica from the first peopling to the Spanish conquest." — Gair Tourtellot, Man, New Series Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 12 PREFACE 18 CHAPTER 1 Introduction: Humans Find Mesoamerica 22 A Geographic Area of Cultural Unity 22 Early Human Evidence 28 Summary 33 CHAPTER 2 Humans Become Farmers 34 Tehuacán Valley 36 Basin of Mexico 39 Tamaulipas 42 Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, and Coastal Sites 42 Summary 44 CHATTER 3 Setting the Mesoamerican Pattern and the Role of the Olmec 46 West Mexico 47 Central Highlands 49 Guerrero 67 Oaxaca 69 The Olmec 73 Great Preclassic Ceramic Traditions 92 Summary 95 CHATTER 4 Monuments, Wealth, and Complex Societies 98 The Basin of Mexico 99 Teotihuacan 100 West Mexico 114 Tlaxcala and Puebla 118 Oaxaca 119 The Maya Region 129 The Southeast Periphery 133 The Southeastern Highlands 135 Southern Maya Lowlands 141 Tikal 144 Belize 156 The Northern Region from the Gulf to the Caribbean 158 Summary 160 CHAPTER 5 Códices, Calendrics, and Maya Writing 162 Books, Calendrics, and Writing 162 The Còdices 163 Other Early Maya Books 165 Time-Keeping: The Calendar Round 166 The Maya "Zero," Numbers, and Counting 169 The Maya Long Count (Initial Series) 169 Deciphering Maya Hieroglyphs 173 A Roster of Early Mesoamerican Dates 178 CHAPTER 6 Teotihuacan and Its Neighbors: The Maya Kings and a New Order 182 Teotihuacan 183 Puebla-Tlaxcala 226 Xochicalco 234 The Ñuíñe 238 Oaxaca 239 El Tajín and the Ball Game 244 Central and Southern Veracruz 250 El Salvador 252 Guatemala Valley 253 The Lowland Maya: A.D. 300-1200 258 Tikal 270 Belize 289 Copán 294 Quiriguá 313 The Southeast Periphery 318 The West 324 The Usumacinta Sites 330 The "Collapse" in the Southern Lowlands 354 Southern Campeche and Central Yucatán 356 Northern Yucatán 365 The Putún (Chontal-Maya) and the Itzá 374 Summary 400 CHAPTER 7 Tula and the Toltecs 404 Tollan, Tula, and the Toltecs 404 The Postclassic in Oaxaca 434 Chichén Itzá and the Toltecs 441 CHAPTER 8 Final Scenes: The Maya, the Tarascans, and the Aztecs 446 The Maya 446 The Tarascans 455 The Aztecs 459 Summary 500 CHAPTER 9 Mesoamerica in Perspective 502 The Southern Classic Lowland Maya 504 Teotihuacan 505 The Maya of Northern Yucatán 506 The Mexica 506 The Tarascans 507 GLOSSARY 510 REFERENCES 516 AUTHOR INDEX 558 SUBJECT INDEX 566 This Textbook Provides Full Coverage Of Archaeology In The Aztec And Maya Areas, And Refocuses Ideas On Writing, Architecture, Murals, And The Olmec.